Looking for a good book.

[CleBrownsfan]

Anybody read any good books recently? I'm more of a fiction reader but would get into any book if it's interesting enough.

Thanks in advance for some advise.

[Yossarian]

Well, my all-time-must-read book that you probably haven't read is Lanark by Alistair Gray. It changed my life and really, is increadible if you are willing to go with the flow (it's kinda fucked up). I met the guy and got my book signed 2 years ago and I've read it four or five times and have four copies of it! It's one of those books you can read as a story and enjoy or look for metaphor and be successful or look at the 'art of writing' and get a lot there.

I read it in school just for fun, but people study it at various levels (a friend did her English Higher report (last year of school) on it as did my brother, and my mother studied it at university). Really, I can't recommend it enough.

If you're looking for a 'fun' book, look no further than the Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Set in a bizzare alternative 1985(ish) where books are as popular as films (and nobody watches films). The protagonist is a "literary detective" and she has to protect manuscripts and stuff like that. The main story arc involves her going INTO Jane Eyre to stop the kidnapping of a main character. It's a bizzarre book, quite unlike anything else but at its heart its a comedy detective story.

Praise for Lanark: A life in four books (Amazon)

From its first publication in 1981, Lanark was hailed as a masterpiece and it has come to be widely regarded as the most remarkable and influential Scottish novel of the second half of the twentieth century. A work of extraordinary imagination and wide-ranging concerns, its playful narrative conveys at its core a profound message, both personal and political, about humankind's inability to love, and yet our compulsion to go on trying. With its echoes of Dante, Blake, Joyce, Kafka, and Lewis Carroll, Lanark has been published all over the world and to unanimous acclaim. This edition marks the novel's return to its original publisher and features a superb new introduction by the award-winning novelist Janice Galloway, and the author's Tailpiece, a fascinating addendum to the novel. "It was time Scotland produced a shattering work of fiction in the modern idiom. This is it." -- Anthony Burgess "Alasdair Gray is one of the most important living writers in English." -- Stephen Bernstein, The New York Times Book Review "Remarkable ... Lanark is a work of loving and vivid imagination, yielding copious riches." -- William Boyd, The Times Literary Supplement (London) "Undoubtedly the best work of fiction written by a Scottish author for decades." -- Time Out (London) "A quite extraordinary achievement, the most remarkable thing in Scottish fiction for a very long time." -- The Scotsman

Priase for The Eyre Affair (also off Amazon)

Amazon.com
Penzler Pick, January 2002: When I first heard the premise of this unique mystery, I doubted that a first-time author could pull off a complicated caper involving so many assumptions, not the least of which is a complete suspension of disbelief. Jasper Fforde is not only up to the task, he exceeds all expectations.
Imagine this. Great Britain in 1985 is close to being a police state. The Crimean War has dragged on for more than 130 years and Wales is self-governing. The only recognizable thing about this England is her citizens' enduring love of literature. And the Third Most Wanted criminal, Acheron Hades, is stealing characters from England's cherished literary heritage and holding them for ransom.

Bibliophiles will be enchanted, but not surprised, to learn that stealing a character from a book only changes that one book, but Hades has escalated his thievery. He has begun attacking the original manuscripts, thus changing all copies in print and enraging the reading public. That's why Special Operations Network has a Literary Division, and it is why one of its operatives, Thursday Next, is on the case.

Thursday is utterly delightful. She is vulnerable, smart, and, above all, literate. She has been trying to trace Hades ever since he stole Mr. Quaverley from the original manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit and killed him. You will only remember Mr. Quaverley if you read Martin Chuzzlewit prior to 1985. But now Hades has set his sights on one of the plums of literature, Jane Eyre, and he must be stopped.

How Thursday achieves this and manages to preserve one of the great books of the Western canon makes for delightfully hilarious reading. You do not have to be an English major to be pulled into this story. You'll be rooting for Thursday, Jane, Mr. Rochester--and a familiar ending. --Otto Penzler--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description:
In Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career. Fforde's ingenious fantasy-enhanced by a Web site that re-creates the world of the novel--unites intrigue with English literature in a delightfully witty mix.

[HomerJSimpson]

"A Song of Fire and Ice" series by George R. R. Martin.

Good review: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ...rge.rr.martin/

[kurtism]

I'll echo Yossarian on The Eyre Affair - a fun read with interesting characters and a wonderful premise (especially for the bibliophiles among us...)

[kurtism]

Dola - in the same vein, if you happen to be a fan of (any) mythology, give Neil Gaiman's American Gods a read. Probably my favorite author, Gaiman's love of mythos and storytelling shines through in just about anything he writes. If four color (colour for you Canadians and Brits) literature is an option, Gaiman's 75 issue run as the writer of Sandman stands (in my biased opinion) as one of the more powerful Shakespearian-styled tragedies of the last 10-15 years.

[Castlerock]

"Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions" by Ben Mezrich

It is about a group of students from MIT who develop a card counting system for Blackjack (in the early to mid nineties). It is a quick, easy, fun read.

[judicial clerk]

Yossarian, shouldn't your favorite book be Catch-22?

I just finished reading the Dante Club. It is a mystery novel that is ok as mysteries but is really interesting if you have an interest in massachussetts literary figures of the late 19th century. The book uses real people as the protagonists in the story.

[Raven]

The Count of Monte Cristo. My favorite book of all time.

The Godfather. If you enjoy this genre of movies, I think you will love the book. I did.

[Scarecrow]

May I suggest From the Hands of Hostile Gods, written by the FOFC's very own Drake.

[terpkristin]

Ditto on the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin and on Gaiman's American Gods.
Personally I'm loving reading Neal Stephenson. While Snow Crash, Zodiac, and The Diamond Age are easier to read and get into, Cryptonomicon, Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World are my favorite. Quiksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World are a trilogy. Oddly enough, one character from that series is in Cryptonomicon as are some of the later generations of families introduced in Quicksilver etc.

Once I finish reading The System of the World, I have a book called "Travels with Barley" (a spin off of Travels with Charley) by Ken Wells (a book about beer!) that I'll probably read...

~tk

[Yossarian]

Don't bother with The Davinci Code. Its a very very very very average book. It has an albino monk as a baddy (why not chuck in 'dwarf' for measure?) and the only reason it is hyped as it is is simply that it deals with controversial conspiracy theories.

[Coffee Warlord]

Roger Zelazny's Amber! 20 bucks for a 10 book compilation, 1000+ pages of literary goodness.

Song of Fire and Ice is a good choice as well. (Speaking of, still quite awhile till the 4th book comes out. July, according to Amazon.)

[JPhillips]

America's Game is a great book on the emergance of the NFL as America's favorite sport. It covers the game and the business very well.

Charlie Wilson's War is perhaps the most engaging non-fiction book I've ever read. Its the very unlikely story of how we won in Afghanistan in the eighties.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Roger Zelazny's Amber! 20 bucks for a 10 book compilation, 1000+ pages of literary goodness.

Song of Fire and Ice is a good choice as well. (Speaking of, still quite awhile till the 4th book comes out. July, according to Amazon.)

From George R.R. Martin's Website: " I said that I hoped to have the book done by the end of the year. Famous last words. No, it's not done, though I am getting closer. I have more than thirteen hundred pages in final draft form and another hundred or so in roughs or fragments, but there are still some chapters yet to write. I'm telling myself that I'm on the home stretch. As soon as FEAST as done, I will announce it here.

—George R.R. Martin, January 17, 2005"

[chinaski]

this is a absolute read... Confessions of an Economic Hitman.
hxxp://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=8-1576753018-0

Publisher Comments:
In his controversial book, John Perkins tells the gripping tale of the years he spent working for an international consulting firm where his job was to convince underdeveloped countries to accept enormous loans, much bigger than they really needed, for infrastructure development — and to make sure that the development projects were contracted to U. S. multinationals. Once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the American government and the international aid agencies allied with it were able, by dictating repayment terms, to essentially control their economies. It was not unlike the way a loan shark operates — and Perkins and his colleagues didn't shun this kind of unsavory association. They referred to themselves as "economic hit men." This is a story of international political intrigue at the highest levels. For over a decade Perkins traveled all over the world — Indonesia, Panama, Ecuador, Columbia, Saudi Arabia, Iran — and worked with men like Panamanian president Omar Torrijos, who became a personal friend. He helped implement a secret scheme that funneled billions of Saudi petrodollars back into the U. S. economy, and that further cemented the intimate relationship between the Islamic fundamentalist House of Saud and a succession of American administrations. Perkins' story illuminates just how far economic hit men were willing to go, and unveils the real causes of some of the most dramatic developments in recent history, such as the fall of the Shah of Iran and the invasions of Panama and Iraq.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which many people urged Perkins not to write, is a blistering attack on a little-known phenomenon that has had dire consequences for both the lesser-developed countries and for American democracy.

[sachmo71]

Fans of George R.R. Martin, take heed!

http://agot.guardiansorder.com/

[Franklinnoble]

[CleBrownsfan]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

Nice!!

Thanks for the advise guys - just spent $80+ on amazon for my reading fixations

[bbor]

The Jenna book is actually quite good in all honesty.

[Yossarian]

I bet you read playboy for the articles...

[Crapshoot]

The Hitchiker's Guide to The Galaxy - A genuine bible - greatest book I've ever read.

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Yossarian

I bet you read playboy for the articles...

Mayhaps

[bosshogg23]

Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen is a good read if you like Pulp Fiction type humor.

I agree that Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions" by Ben Mezrich is a good book as well.

[Yossarian]

I recently went back and re-read the HG2TG - sadly it had lost some of the magic that I got when I first read it at 15 or whatever. Was still entertaining but not as funny as I had remembered.

[AgustusM]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

The Hitchiker's Guide to The Galaxy - A genuine bible - greatest book I've ever read.

some good suggestions here, but if you haven't read this - there is no real choice - an absolute must read

[AlexB]

There's a very strange and disturbing book called The Collector by John Fowles that if I'd recommend if you like books that have an emotional impact, but with the proviso that it's not exactly light-hearted...

He's more well known for 'The Magus' which most people prefer: it is good but The Collector is very well written and considering it was his debut novel. and is now over 40 years old, has a very controversial subject matter.

Similarly 'The Fu ck Up' by Arthur Nersesian is well worth a read despite the publicity seeking title,.

If you like conspiracy theory, try American Hero by Larry Beinhart - the basis for 'Wag The Dog'.

Or for a very easy and warming read (which you'll appreciate after either of the first two) look for 'The Alchemist' by Paolo Cuelho.

None of them new, but they're the four best books I've read in last few years...

[Calis]

I just finished reading Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins which was a great book, bit different.

For something really different try picking up House of Leaves which is unlike anything you've ever read more than likely. Have to decide for yourself whether that's good or bad.

Also in the more obvious, my two favorite authors Vonnegut and Nabokov you really can't go wrong with, so if you've never read anything from them, do so.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by Calis

I just finished reading Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins which was a great book, bit different.
.

yep, worth reading

[yabanci]

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

[ntndeacon]

All The Name by Jose Saramago is perhaps the best book I have ever read. Others that are worth a look:
Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore
ok. anything by Christopher Moore
I agree on the Fforde books I think there are 4 of them now.

[Yossarian]

I agree on the Fforde books I think there are 4 of them now.

Yup, and he's got a new one (Not a Thursday Next book) coming out in the summer - uk at least

It's a publication of his first actual novel that at the time noone would buy off him. I was originally called nursery crime and is a detective story (surprise) investigating the death of Humpty Dumpty. I've been to two of his book tours. I think the new one's called "the big over easy".

[KWhit]

If you haven't read the Harry Potter books you should read them.

[Scholes]

I just got done with Never Mind the Pollacks, by Neal Pollack, a fun fictional tale of a rock critic that "discovers" some of the greatest musicians ever. Sort of a Forrest Gump meets Spinal Tap type deal. Not heady stuff by any means, but funny and worthwhile.

Also, if you're into soccer, try Brilliant Orange by David Winner or Morbo by Phil Ball to understand more about the soccer culture in Holland and Spain.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

A great non fiction is: Combat Jump by Ed Ruguerro. A good tale about 82d ABN DIV and it's jump into Italy.

[CleBrownsfan]

Originally Posted by KWhit

If you haven't read the Harry Potter books you should read them.

I've read all the Potter books - I love them all!! Pre-ordered 'Half Prince' and I also to the recommendation of Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. I also wanted to start reading King's Dark Tower books so I bought the first 2 of the series.

Has anyone read the Dark Tower series

[andy m]

i'd recommend the new murakami book : http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...127384-5078202

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

I've read all the Potter books - I love them all!! Pre-ordered 'Half Prince' and I also to the recommendation of Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. I also wanted to start reading King's Dark Tower books so I bought the first 2 of the series.

Has anyone read the Dark Tower series

Sounds like we have really similar tastes. I liked Bringing Down the House a lot. And I read the Dark Tower series. I highly recommend it. But the first one is pretty slow and hard to get through. Luckily, it's short, so just try to get through it. The other books in the series are much better.